1.5" OME lift Quandry...

so i've talked to dirk at DPG, talked to the guys at High Country 4x4 and OME/ARB. So as you can guess by now i'm majorly confused.

1. I've been told to do only the medium / only do the Heavy Duty

2. I've been told that i'll need additional parts; That using a Hybrid kit is the best route / OME doesnt reccomend hybrid kits and in its stand alone kit is complete. also that ill need new engine mounts?!

3. also i'm planning on doing this myself with a friend who's a 20+ mechanic / only use proffesional install because you'll totally F it up.

So guys please PLEASE tell me these answers.

1. What Duty strength will work? (going to get a front and rear bumper; weight 200 lbs. http://www.nates4x4.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=COM3_XJF_XJR_SO )

2. if i do the OME 1.5"; what else am i going to need for a complete install?

3. My friend is an accomplished mechanic and has done man lifts. is it really going to change the whole install if i use a "proffesional Mechanic"

I know that a decent amount of members here have gone through Dirk/DPG and have no complaints.
For such a small lift, depending on what comes with the kit may not need much, if anything else.
With bumpers, I'm sure that the med duty would be fine, but the HD will be better especially if you plan on packing your heep with stuff for trips and such.
There is no "need" for a "pro. install", if your friend is in the industry/knows what he is doing/gets paid to do it then he is a pro. Yes, paying a shop to do it can be less headache but not worth it for simple things like this.
For more flex/down travel, may want aftermarket lowers/clearance the mount for more droop.
Depending on the kit you may/may not need shocks and other little things. But overall should be good to go. At least a week before install use some PB blaster, or other similar product, and spray down all the nuts/bolts that you will be removing.

the kit has shocks, leafs and coils (another reason i really liked it). i dont really want to do anything more to the suspension down the road. i'm thinking down the road we'll be going towards a stroker so i agree the HD would be usefull in that reguard. Also, i'm living out of it so a stiffer ride, esspecially with these bumpers, will even out. i'm 28 so if i can't handle some rattle without complaining about it hurting my ass then i need a different car.

DPG has a great looking kit, however he convinved me that the 1.5" kit he sells is incomplete and that his 2' ultimate kit is the way to go. its also super more expensive; i just dont want to shell out 1300$ on a kit when i believe i'd be fine with the $800. its a big difference. my cost isnt too concerning i just dont want to go dumbly about this

for only 1.5" you dont really need anything other than maybe a extra stock pack get the main leaf, cut off the eyes and put it in the pack, maybe another leaf below that one too.
maybe add a shackle if need be, like an MJ shackle or a 3/4" lift shackle.

for the front, you can get 2" spacers, or some ZJ up country v8 coils and an extra isolator. get good shocks. some sort of decent monotube. bilstien 5100 or 5150 are cheap and work much better than cheap white shocks. you dont need control arms, trackbar, etc at 2".

that wouldnt cost much, maybe 350$ on shocks shipped, get the extra leaves, spacers, center pins, etc for probably under 50$, and have a decent 1.5-2" lift .

*Year of XJ? (can be important!).
**A DD, (Daily Driven?), light off-road? (useful to know).
***Don't 'fergit to get a rear license plate mount system, with a light bulb for those coming up behind you, (day, or night), with red, and blue lights, sirens, and things.

Some prefer the spare tire to be mounted to the passenger side, middle, or driver's side. By the limited images at the Nate's site, it appears to me that the tire is located sort of towards the driver's side.., but am not too sure that is truely so. Did you talk to them?

ARBUSA.com has techs that will talk you through as to what you need, as to what they have. They do have a pdf catalog at their site, which will show the weight capacities of the different suspension packages.

My XJ is with the 1.5" H.D. It is a harsh ride in, and out of pot holes, and over speed bumps, but can carry the extra weight I carry most of the time. The H.D. leaf springs are also great if you have a small trailer with a 4 wheeler, etc., to haul around. The H.D. front coils is a plus with a heavy duty front bumper, especially with a winch weight addition. A slight 'California rake', (front end a bit lower than the rear with the finished set-up), is perhaps slightly useful when plowing through snow drift country. ARBUSA also sells 'matched' Old Man Emu shocks for whatever suspension package you want. They will advise you. I suggest new shocks simply because you are in that area anyway. I do not consider the Australian ARBUSA to be the absolute best, but way better than OEM for washboard roads, and road defects. Fox, and Biltstein's are often recommended as being superior, but then these modified guys know what they are doing, and certainly take the XJ to the limit. If you are not going in that direction, then you will be well served to go a tad beyond OEM.

I do not think you need new engine mounts just to add new coils, and shocks to the front end. You might have been told to do so just because, lol. One thing to remember though.., is that you need to be sure to loosen, (relax), the big engine mount bolts as the entire engine/drive line angle will change a bit with taller coils, etc. After new suspension is installed, re-tighten those bolts. You might notice cracks, or some kind of damage to the metal/rubber motor mounts.., and in that case it is good to change them out.

I spent one month of daily PB Blasting, Kroil oiling my rear leaf bolts, (from every angle possible, and still ended up with one driver's side rear bolt snapping off, requiring 6 hours of attention. Ended up cutting through back end in order to get an easy-out-socket onto the remaining threads, (after sawzalling the tip down enough to get the socket on in that tight channel space). As been suggested already, spraying down those fasteners is a must, even if it is not needed. It's a crap shoot. Just my 2c.

1999 Cherokee Sport
Daily Driver but light off road(just light enough so she can be driven monday morning)
good point on the rear liscense plate mount.

talked to nate's. his wheel is centered, he's fabricating mine so that it will hold two jerry cans as well... so it will be a bit different. I'm gonna run one jerry can and one is the rampage tool kit.

I've talked to ARB/OME but sounds like i would do well to bug em a bit more.

interesting take on the HD vs. potholes; i carry weight and i'm nearly bottoming out lately so a rougher ride might be worth the ability to take on more gear. gonna have to weigh that. gonna do shocks, OME, not nitros though.

Lotta food for thought... some guy posted this to another thread, it pretty accurately shows what i'd like to do: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0hm-WdoaCo&feature=player_embedded

I'm planning on yella terra roller rockers and on monday i'll install a whole new exhaust: throttle body, new spectre intake, banks headers, flowmaster cat. so i'm hoping for at least something that sounds cooler. lol

Thanks Alaskan, very much. Your comment might, seriously, the most valuable i've gotten.

Greets. Get the best shocks money can buy. Others might chip-in with experiences. If you go with Old Man Emu be sure to get the best, and best fitment. Also, after a couple of hundred miles, be sure to retorque all fasteners, (In service check). I do not have those values handy. Maybe some one has a list, spaced mine, lol. I've worked with mechanics that have the magic touch, or a good feel.., but many actually go with specs. and a torque wrench. Imagine that!

lol i know. it makes me want to give up what i'm doing currently and go back to be a jeep mechanic. i'm 28 so its hard to not want to

If all your going is 1.5" the coils, leaves and shocks is all you will need. As suggested the heavy duty springs are what I'd go with. I have a thrown together lift consisting of OME, iron rock and iron man 4x4 parts for a total of about 3" of lift on 33's and it rides great and does well on the trail. I carry a bunch of tools in the back at all times and have a tire carrier. It surprisingly has not sagged any.